President Erdogan’s populist touch deserts him on eve of knife-edge poll

His country is on the brink of a currency crisis, a rowdy opposition leader has stolen the limelight days before an election and for the first time in his political career President Erdogan seems to have lost his populist touch.

A different politician might accept the slide as the inevitable consequence of 15 years at the helm of politics but with presidential and parliamentary elections on Sunday Mr Erdogan hopes to cling on and reshape the country.

A victory for him will lead to a reformed constitution that sweeps aside the parliamentary system. It vests huge powers in the president, abolishes the post of prime minister and subjugates parliament. Mr Erdogan’s opponents fear that it will sound the death knell for democracy; all the opposition…

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